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KaLui of Puerto Princesa, Palawan: DINNER Review

I am currently on a long
vacation, which has hindered me to update my blog as often as I used to. I have
been out-of-town since February. Since my departure I have visited Palawan for
the first time and have also gone to Cebu. At present I am in Bohol spending a
much awaited bonding session with my family. Since I haven’t been able to
attend any events in Metro Manila, I decided to write about the many fabulous
things I’ve discovered outside the metro instead. Today, I would like to put
the epic KaLui on the spotlight.

KaLui is open from Monday to Saturday; 11-2 pm (Lunch) and 6-11 pm (Dinner).

I’ve come to learn about KaLui
through ultra positive reviews from
my friends, Roni and Pauie. They have both been in Palawan and they kept
repeating I should DEFINITELY eat in KaLui upon reaching Palawan. Due to my
utmost trust on their judgement, my husband and I decided to make KaLui our
first meal in the charming island. Upon disembarking from the plane, we
immediately dropped our bags in the hotel and went straight to KaLui… seriously.

The many awards of KaLui.

KaLui is a quaint hideaway situated
in the popular food strip of Rizal Avenue of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. If you are new in
Palawan and you haven’t heard of it, you might not even notice the restaurant
since it’s surrounded with huge trees and shrubberies. While driving to the
restaurant, I was a little bit wary since I wasn’t able to make any dinner
reservations. Based from the guidance of our hotel receptionist, one should
place a reservation before eating at KaLui. Aside from this info, she even said
KaLui guests would often book a week before eating in the place! Nevertheless,
we held on to the faith that they may have seats for us. Luckily, they did!

The front desk and hardworking waiters of KaLui.

Upon entering their
garden/reception area, I already felt the calmness and serenity that the place
would like their customers to feel. Their décor were mostly made of Filipino
products and it feels so much like home.

We are Palawanderers!

They also have an exhibit in the
restaurant aside from already showcasing a number of paintings depicting the
heritage of Filipinos. I loved the fact that they had many paintings of
Filipinas as well. I’ve always been an admirer of paintings celebrating the
Filipina.

Paintings on the ceiling.

They also asked us to remove our slippers/shoes and place them in
woven shoe boxes for safekeeping. Walking barefoot on their smooth wooden floor
gave me this Zen-like feeling I haven’t had in other restaurants. We were then
led to their Tungsten-lit dining area where we were pretty much excited to
begin our first KaLui dining experience.

Yes we are barefootin'!

My husband taking a shot with the shoe storage baskets.

Our waiter was very courteous.
However, since they are often very busy, sometimes they are unable to attend to
our needs as quickly as I would like. Nevertheless, I fully understand their
situation and that was not much of a big deal for me. I can see that they are
trying their best anyway.

The lovely table arrangements.

You may dine two ways: on your seat or on the floor!

Our chosen meals for the night
were the Tubbataha salad (definitely a must-try for adventurous people!), Fish
Cordon Bleu, and Shrimps in Garlic Butter. (I have always been a shrimp and
garlic aficionado so I just had to order it!)

My favorite Shrimps in Garlic! (PhP 215.00)

The Fish Cordon Bleu meal (PhP 215.00)

Another fave: Banana shake!

My husband, being the
risk-taker that he is, ordered the Tubbataha salad. I was actually wary to
order this salad because its ingredients were the following:

·Fresh tuna sashimi strips

Cashew Nuts

·Avocado

·Ripe mango

·Seaweed

·Papaya

·Chili

·Pomelo

·Palawan dressing (with vinegar and calamansi)

A must try! Affordable too!

The Tubbataha salad

And I was like “Would all those
actually taste good together?!” My husband ordered it anyway and we both loved
it! I don’t think the salad would be liked by all since it has a really unique
taste but I’m glad it worked out well for us. I’ve come to love eating fresh
seaweeds after eating this salad too. The great thing about the Tubbataha is
that it created a totally new mix of flavours for my husband’s adventurous
palette. I’m glad we both shared something cool and new that night.

After-meal shot. All so yum.

After sharing a lovely meal,
KaLui gave us free fruits served in a coconut bowl! I’m so glad that such a
popular restaurant would still give their customers freebies!

Mixed fresh fruits in a coconut shell.

I decided to visit their loo
after eating to also include it in this review. I have always been very particular
with comfort rooms. They have to be clean, with dry flooring, adequate water,
soap, and tissue, etc. I am actually amazed when I entered the comfort room of
KaLui because it exceeded my expectations. The comfort room was very clean and
all needed materials were provided for. They even have a lounge area and
paintings on the walls. Marvelous!

Rating: For the fantastic dinner,
ambiance, affordability, and overall experience, I give KaLui 5 out of 5 exotic veggie salad
bowls! Just amazing!

Comments

I wasn't able to try that. Maybe next time balik tayo. haha! :) And yes I love their bathroom! Naniniwala ako talaga na the bathroom is among the most important amenities na dapat meron ang restaurant. Yung ginanda pa ng bathroom nila are the paintings! It's like a bathroom, museum, tambayan in one. :)